5 Interview Wrong Turns

When you think of psychology, do asylums and psychopaths come to mind? Well, so should job interviewers…and not because some may seem like sadistic psychopaths. A recent study from two psychologists, Thomas Hillard and Therese McCan, in The Journal of Psychology reveals a lot about what goes through interviewers’ minds and how job seekers can use that to their advantage.

An interviewer’s assessment of a candidate is partly based on personality. Two key traits that most are looking for are helpfulness and obedience. A more helpful candidate is someone who will work harder, take initiative, and deal well with customers. “Obedience” shows them that you will follow instructions and can be easily trained.

How do you convey to an interviewer that you have these qualities? How much should you focus on conveying personality instead of intelligence or qualifications for a job?

Your interviewers (sometimes you will face several at once) will be different people who judge you differently. So how do you judge them?

These five principles can help guide you through an interview, figure out what your interviewers are looking for and adjust your strategy in real time. Unlike other interview guides that tell you the obvious (think, “Be Friendly!” Duh.), we’ll give you more sophisticated and subtle strategies that your competition won’t know.